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Erdogan says Saudi journalist’s murder ‘thoroughly planned’

The journalist wrote articles for The Washington Post, analyzing the situation in Saudi Arabia and the country's foreign policy, and criticizing Riyadh

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan AP Photo/Ali Unal

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

© AP Photo/Ali Unal

MOSCOW, October 23. /TASS/. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the parliament on Tuesday that the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has been confirmed and this crime had been thoroughly planned.

"I want to speak about the killing of Khashoggi, this fact has been established. There is evidence that the murder had been thoroughly planned," Erdogan said in a speech broadcast by NTV channel.

On October 1, a day before Khashoggi died, three groups of Saudi nationals arrived in Istanbul, the Turkish president said. They headed to the consulate general and also conducted reconnaissance in the Belgrad Forest adjacent to Istanbul and the Yalova Province in northwestern Turkey, he noted.

The Turkish leader has called on Riyadh to prosecute those behind the journalist’s murder in Istanbul.

"I have no doubt about honesty of the Saudi king. We will watch the developments until the very end. So, I want to call on the king and the entire leadership of Saudi Arabia: all this happened in Istanbul and I suggest prosecuting 18 those arrested persons [by Riyadh] in Istanbul," he said.

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Kremlin hopes situation with missing Saudi journalist in Istanbul will be solved

According to Erdogan, among those Saudi nationals were security personnel, intelligence officers and forensic experts. The Turkish leader stressed that after the murder a person with a false beard, wearing glasses and clothes, who pretended to be Khashoggi, left for Riyadh that evening.

Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, known for his criticism of Saudi Arabia's current policy, left his home country and moved to the United States in 2017. The journalist wrote articles for The Washington Post, analyzing the situation in Saudi Arabia and the country's foreign policy, and criticizing Riyadh.

The journalist arrived in the consulate general of Saudi Arabia in Istanbul on October 2 to complete paperwork to marry a Turkish citizen and has not been in contact since then.

On October 20, Saudi Arabia’s authorities announced that the journalist died after a conflict in the consulate general. Saudi Arabia's Public Prosecutor Saud Al-Moajab declared that 18 Saudi nationals had been under investigation, without revealing their names. He also said that Saudi Deputy Intelligence Chief Ahmed Al Asiri and Royal Court Adviser Saud al-Qahtani were sacked.

According to Haberler news portal, body parts of the journalist were discovered in a well on the territory of the diplomatic mission in Istanbul, leader of Turkey's Rodina party Dogu Perincek claimed. However, Aydinlik newspaper wrote that the body parts were found on the territory of the Saudi consul’s residence, which is located several hundred meters away from the building.

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